I need to be recommitted; I’ve so much to do, so much. The only problem I’m having is finding the time for it all. I’m not going to lie and say I don’t piss away time each day (some might argue that I’m doing so right now) but I just need to learn to increase my efficiency.
Three Down, Two To Go
After a long day of sitting around in a day-long training session the offer to head over to Taco Mac was too irresistible.
As a quick aside, was the moon as large and awesome as I remember it being while driving home some time between 8pm-9pm? I seriously wanted to pull over and take some photos, but I didn’t have the appropriate lens and I was driving on I-85S so I figured stopping was a bad idea.
At Taco Mac we had one of the best waitresses that I’ve encountered in a long time. Her name was “AC” and not only did she strive to make sure everything was alright, when she messed up — like forgetting which beer I ordered — she was apologetic and quick to make matters right.
I drank three more beers (#121, #122, #123) and am within striking distance of the magical #125. I may be fat, but I’m earning it.
Sliding Into Home
It’s been a weird few days. Seemingly ever since I decided that I was going to lose my “Slider Night Virginity” people have been making offers to do things tonight or providing tempting dinner offers. But no, I’m planning to be at The Shed where I will do my best to eat a sensible Slider Night dinner.
My only regret is that I can’t walk to The Shed from my house. Well, it’s not that I am physically unable, it’s that there is still too much crime in my neighborhood (and its surrounds) to make walking a viable option. Pity.
ITP Flickr Pic
What can I say, I love Majestic Diner. Not only do I like their food, am intrigued by one of the early-morning waitresses, I get to shoot their wonderful neon exterior.
It doesn’t get much better than this for me.
A Photo A Day
I meant to mention this earlier in the week, but since I having lived up to my commitment perhaps it’s better that I didn’t. From today through the end of the year I plan to shoot at least one publishable* photo a day. I have no preconception as to what I will be shooting, all I know is that I am not shooting enough and the only way to change that is to shoot.
Besides, I always need shots for this blog, right?
* means that I am okay with putting it on not that I think the shot is great or sellable.
Losing Weight By Cooking?
A gander at today’s statistics shows that I’ve weighed in at one of the highest weights since I started blogging. Sure, there are a lot of factors involved — too much food and beer, a lack of significant exercise — come to mind immediately. This week I wandered into a magical store which sells all of the raw ingredients necessary to make your own meals. What a concept!
While in Kroger the other day I became Captain Markdown as I picked up a large roasting chicken (which I plan to cook in a crockpot overnight tonight for lunch tomorrow), some pre-formed hamburger patties, a steak, and two hermetically-sealed small/tiny pork roasts all from the markdown section.
With the exceptions of the aforementioned (Jeebus I love that word) “Slider Night” visit and the plan to continue my cheap eats on lavanderia noches, I plan to start cooking again. Eating home-cooked meals and leftovers for lunch in an effort to slim my waist and fatten my wallet at the same time. Don’t be surprised to see many food-releated photos in the coming days. 😉
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – fat and ready to change that
Current Music – silence while podcasts download
Website Of The Day – Think my life is too easy? Look where I’ll be spending my post-Shed evening, Georgia Department of Revenue.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – 207 pounds, I wish it were a nightmare
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 77
Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~4 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 25
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 0 (0)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 9
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0
November Goals
– Not to get sick for the entire month
– Not get fired from my job
– Ride my bicycle no fewer than 100 miles
– Run no fewer than 50 miles
– Determine the fate of Sharpened Stone, LLC
– lose five pounds
– eat vegetarian at least one day a week
2010 Goals
– Reduce my weight to 185 pounds (starting weight was 198 pounds) [update: On July 1 I’ve sadly gained weight; I’m at 203 pounds]
– Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
– Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Sharpened Stone.
– Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
– Attend at least one professional photography workshop
– Enter no fewer than three photographic competitions / gallery showings
– Get the Black Sheep stats out of Excel and online, completed
– Ride in no fewer than two 50 mile or 50K bike rides, completed
– Complete my Taco Mac Passport requirement of 125 beers
The Unmeasurable
– Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
– Become a proficient programmer in PHP and CSS Objective-C
– Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
I’m starting to see the light again after 2 months of absolute hell at work (thank god).
Time management? I struggle with that every day, I’m so friggen scattered I don’t know how my tasks get accomplished. I have not been fired so I guess the tasks are being met with enough speed but it’s hard to document what I have done in any given day. I really need to get that in check.
I was looking at your goals, 100 bike miles in November? You do realize it’s cold out there right?
That’s why it wasn’t 200 miles. 😉 I could have gotten the mileage in had I been riding. I’m considering dragging the bike down to Pine Mountain and riding on Saturday.
We went to The Shed for the first time Friday to use an expiring Half-Off Depot coupon. I had the Pork Dumplings and they were delicious!
If there was a Like button on your blog, I would hit it!!! You will be surprised what a difference home cooking will make. There are so many issues to deal with while eating out…portion size is out of control, added fat, salt, god knows what else. I hit the ‘mark down meat’ section just about every time. Jerry goes through a lot of meat.
As you know we don’t eat out a lot, two, maybe three times a week, if it’s been a crazy week.
I just got the final instructions for the weekend, including the information on the pasta dinner Friday night…spaghetti with chicken and alfredo sauce??? All that fat is not going to agree with my come Saturday morning. I may have to change my plans. This is the one bad thing about traveling for a race, my GI track doesn’t take change very well. (Jenka, is well the correct word or is it good? I was very confused after yesterday’s English lesson).
Didn’t notice the moon last night, I was so tired I was in bed by 8:20…yep, I know, I’m lame.
Hmmm, pork dumplings sound great too Vic.
Thanks Martha. I know I sound like I’m going to be a meataholic but I do plan to incorporate a lot more vegetables into my diet as well.
I understand the jitters, but you’ve trained and will do quite well on Saturday, Martha. Can you not eat the dinner without the alfredo sauce?
Paulie – excellent idea to cook at home again.
Just throw that chicken in with some onions, spices & some water for the bottom, and you will have a great, moist chicken.
Since I tend to leave things in the crockpot for too many hours, I rarely do the veggies in with the meat. Those tiny little pork roast are nice, you could even do them in the crockpot, or just throw in the oven.
oh yeah – and tentatively put next Tuesday on the schedule for trivia – might be in the mood to go back to Billy Jack’s. Still is BYOB……..
and – I went to Publix last night, I wonder what they do with their almost expired meat, I’ve never seen a mark down section at that store.
We’ve been eating out too much recently, not really on purpose, it just has worked out that way. Tonight I was going to just do something at the house, but Dean is coming up & wants to go to Tasty China (& Bob is coming too, will he order the sesame chicken or was it sweet & sour chicken?) & that is hard to refuse.
Barb, I haven’t been to Tasty China in ages. If not for my desire for a slider near my house and the fear that I have to mail these Sales Tax forms before getting thrown in jail (or whatever) I’d be there tonight.
Let me know if Tuesday is confirmed. That night is the also the night for the iPhone Developers meeting so I may skip. It’s too early to know.
I think tonight I’ll start the chicken and when I wake in the morning I’ll drop in the veggies (potatoes, onions, carrots, etc) for the remaining five hours of cooking. With this plan the veggies may not be complete mush by the time we eat lunch.
I may order Sesame Chicken just to cheese off the waitress again 🙂
Bob, word on the street is that the surly waitress no longer haunts Tasty China.
sorry Bob – the surly waitress is long gone. Now they just have young things that don’t know how to be surly.
I, for one, would NEVER call blogging a waste of time. It’s continuing to develop writing skills. It’s also a social outlet. And, most importantly, you entertain all of us. 🙂 So, really? It should be the very last thing to ever go should you need to time manage somehow.
And I’m with Martha on clicking the “Like” button on this!
finally booked a hotel for InterAm 2011 – I went for the Inn at Ellis Square. What did you all do? (and – we may be looking for roomies)
Really Barb? I’m thinking of going now! (Now that I’m back out hashing again) What rate did you get on the hotel?
it is all set prices on the website for the different hotels – savannah2011.org. $155 a night…..
You might be able to get a better price messing with hotwire, etc. when it gets closer at another hotel nearby, but to be right there near River Street with all the crazy hashers, $155 isn’t too bad.
I’ll be in whatever hotel was listed second since the hotel listed first was sold out.